Billionaire Laurence Escalante’s extravagant life revealed after his Lamborghinis were crashed

The Australian billionaire whose cars worth a million were crashed by a valet at the Crown Casino in Perth is no stranger to making headlines, frequently showing off the lavish lifestyle he built on the back of a gaming empire.

Laurence Escalante, who made his fortune after founding his Virtual Gaming Worlds empire, watched as his two Lamborghini Aventador Ultimaes crashed into parking attendants Wednesday night.

The two supercars, worth around $1 million each, are the latest make of the Italian automaker’s popular Aventador model, but they’re just two of many big-ticket items the billionaire owns.

Escalante often showcases his lavish lifestyle on social media, including photos of diamond-encrusted Rolexes, flights in private jets and trips to the track to race supercars.

In December 2020, Escalante moved from a bungalow to a $7.5 million apartment on the South Perth Esplanade.

The father-of-four’s new luxury apartment on an entire building floor includes a balcony with a panoramic view of Perth’s Swan River and city skyline.

There are four bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, three bathrooms, four separate toilets and three parking spaces.

Meanwhile, the apartment complex is four stories with one apartment on each floor, a shared roof terrace, a swimming pool, barbecue area and gym.

The $7.5 million apartment is an upgrade from Escalante’s former home: a bungalow on Como in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, which he bought for $870,000 in 2016.

While he now lives a luxury lifestyle with regular boat trips from the beautiful WA beaches, the entrepreneur has humble beginnings, having started cooking burgers at a Hungry Jacks.

Last year, Mr. Escalante joined The List, Australia’s 250 richest, for the first time, with an estimated wealth of $2.15 billion.

The coronavirus pandemic was particularly triumphant for the 41-year-old as those in lockdown had more time to play online.

Mr. Escalante’s headquarters are in Perth, but VGW’s income comes from outside Australia.

The social gaming business, which was founded by Escalante in 2010, made more than $200 million in profit last year.

“The Australian tech sector is changing the world,” Escalante said in an interview on The List at the time.

He regularly enjoys trips to Dubai, the Caribbean and has been photographed ringing in the New Year on a party yacht in Sydney Harbour.

Escalante was paid $5.65 an hour for his first job at Hungry Jacks, before moving on to work at The Reject Shop while studying at Macquarie University in Sydney.

The billionaire is also passionate about fast cars and invested in the car modification business, Beyond Custom, as well as the training and coaching business, Arise Racing.

The VGW website says: ‘VGW are the pioneers of Social Sweepstake Gaming.

‘VGW is revolutionizing the online poker and social casino markets.

“Our innovative raffle technology is the subject of pending patent applications around the world.”

During WA’s Covid lockdown, the billionaire rented a 1,000-square-meter property and said he was “proud” to flaunt it on social media.

Nicknamed The Hamptons Farm Estate, the luxurious property features a large outdoor pool, entertainment area, and outdoor children’s play equipment.

Escalante has been sharing photos of her glamorous stay with her 16,500 Instagram followers, where she frequently flaunts her opulent lifestyle.

In one video, he showed his family traveling to the hospital for a PCR test, while others show their luxury sports cars parked on the lawn.

The luxurious rental, designed by renowned interior designer Natalee Bowen, is often rented out as a wedding venue and has been featured on various television shows and magazines, including Open Homes Australia and Ready Set Reno.

Originally an 1860s country house, the designer abode, which has been renovated in 2020, is located around 105km north-east of Perth and was rented through accommodation provider Exclusive Escapes WA.